Big Move # 7 - Identity Focal Points

What do Identity Focal Points mean in Lewisville?

A key concept behind this Big Move is to recognize Lewisville’s enormous expanses of commercial corridors. Due to the scale of existing commercial corridors and challenges along their lengths, it is recommended that portions of the City be addressed individually. This is not to say existing corridors should be ignored. Rather, a “one size fits all” broad brush for the entire City is not practical.

Public investments for aesthetic enhancements and redevelopment strategies for all commercial corridors within the City are extremely costly endeavors and not feasible with existing resources. In addition, redevelopment of commercial corridors is a very long term commitment, likely taking decades to accomplish. Thus, a series of special development events, or Identity Focal Points, should be implemented at the most highly visible intersections and gateways to form new identity. The nodes of development would create interesting pulse points, destinations and sense of place for the City. Identity Focal Points can help to establish regional gateway into the City and when combined with Old Town, provide a hierarchical system of mixed use community centers. These nodes of redevelopment will create focal areas in which new investment can be directed.

This Big Move is closely related to other identity, new housing and employment strategies. Private development should be coordinated with public investment to create unique mixed-use and redevelopment sites at targeted locations. These targeted node locations would include a concentrated mix of new development and redevelopment, both scenarios offering retail, employment and residential uses. Their site plans would promote walkable destinations with emphasis on the pedestrian scale. First floor non-residential uses could be located with vertically-mixed uses above, such as mixed-use type residential units. The areas between these Identity Focal Points would continue to redevelop over time. Lewisville should consider a master developer for each and encourage developments at three identity focal points:

A Southern Gateway at the Intersection of SH 121 and IH 35E

A Northern Gateway just past the Lake Lewisville bridge

A Central Node at Business 121 and IH 35E.

The following links describe these three areas and the top action priorities to help achieve these Big Moves.